System and method for dynamic power management of a mobile device

ABSTRACT

A mobile device adapted for dynamic power management. The mobile device includes an output power port, a voltage converter adapted to convert an input voltage to provide an output voltage to the output power port, and a processor. The processor is adapted to monitor at least one load electrically to determine when the at least one load will become active or inactive, determine a minimum required output voltage to be provided by the voltage converter based on the at least one load that will become active or inactive, control the voltage converter to provide at least the minimum required output voltage on the output power port in advance of the at least one load becoming active or after the at least one load becomes inactive, and when the input voltage is below the first threshold, control the voltage converter to reduce the output voltage.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/491,996, filed Jun. 8, 2012, which was a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/436,498, filed May 6, 2009 (now U.S. Pat. No.8,217,626), which claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 61/052,010 filed on May 9, 2008, the entire contents of all of whichare hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

This application relates to dynamic power management and in particular,to a system and method for dynamic power management that makes use of asingle voltage converter.

Mobile communication devices are in use throughout everyday life. It isbecoming more and more common to include a broader array of capabilitiesand functionality into mobile devices. There is also pressure to makethese mobile devices increasingly smaller. At the same time, there is anon-going need to improve the performance of these devices so that theyrun for an extended length of time between recharging or batteryreplacement.

The goal of providing longer battery life has resulted in a movementtowards lower voltage level batteries, which will provide for longerdischarge times. However, using low voltage level batteries typicallyleads to issues with regards to providing enough power to the mobiledevice to accommodate the increased level of functionality that isprovided by the mobile device which includes various communicationfeatures, cameras, flashes, music playback, screen or keyboardbacklights and the like. Accordingly, better power management techniquesare needed such that longer battery life can be achieved and/or batterysize can be reduced.

GENERAL

In one aspect, at least one of the embodiments described herein providesa method for dynamic power management of a mobile device. The mobiledevice comprises a plurality of loads and a battery charger electricallyconnected to a voltage rail of the mobile device. The method comprisesproviding an input voltage level to a single voltage converter of themobile device; monitoring the plurality of loads to determine when atleast one of the loads will become active or inactive; determining aminimum required output voltage level to be provided by the voltageconverter based on active loads voltage level requirements and the atleast one load that will become active or inactive voltage levelrequirement; and adjusting the input voltage level via the voltageconverter

to provide the minimum required output voltage level on the voltage railin advance of the at least one load becoming active or after the atleast one load becomes inactive. The method further monitors the inputvoltage level, and determines whether the input voltage level fallsbelow a first predetermined threshold. In the event that the inputvoltage level falls below the first predetermined threshold, the methodfurther reduces the output voltage level of the voltage converter,thereby reducing a charging rate of the battery charger.

The step of adjusting the received input voltage level can compriseincreasing the output voltage level to a higher voltage level when theat least one load becomes active.

The step of adjusting the received input voltage level can comprisereducing the output voltage level to a lower voltage level when the atleast one load becomes inactive.

In another aspect, at least one of the embodiments described hereinprovides a system for dynamic power management on a mobile device, themobile device comprising a plurality of loads and a battery chargerelectrically connected to a voltage rail of the mobile device. Thesystem comprises a single voltage converter electrically couple to thevoltage rail and configured to receive an input voltage level and adjustthe received input voltage level to provide an output voltage level tothe voltage rail; and a processor configured to monitor the plurality ofloads to determine when at least one of the loads will become active orinactive; determine a minimum required output voltage level to beprovided by the voltage converter to adjust the input voltage level toprovide the minimum required output voltage on the voltage rail for allactive loads in advance of the at least one load becoming active orafter the at least one load becomes inactive. The processor is furtherconfigured to monitor the input voltage level to determine whether itfalls below a first predetermined threshold, and when the input voltagelevel falls below the first predetermined threshold, control the voltageconverter to reduce the output voltage level thereby reducing a chargingrate of the battery charger.

In another aspect, at least one of the embodiments described hereinprovides a computer readable medium storing instructions that, whenexecuted on a processor, cause the processor to monitor a plurality ofloads connected to a voltage rail to determine when at least one of theloads will become active or inactive; determine a minimum requiredoutput voltage level for the voltage rail based on active loads and theat least one load that will become active or inactive; and control asingle voltage converter to adjust an input voltage level to provide theminimum required output voltage level on the voltage rail in advance ofthe at least one load becoming active or after the at least one loadbecomes inactive. The computer readable medium further storesinstruction that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor tomonitor the input voltage level; determine whether the input voltagelevel falls below a first predetermine threshold, and when the inputvoltage level falls below the first predetermined threshold, control thevoltage converter to reduce the output voltage level thereby reducing acharging rate of the battery charger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the embodiments described herein and toshow more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference willnow be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings whichshow the example embodiments and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a mobilecommunication device;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a communicationsubsystem component of the mobile communication device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a wireless networkthat the mobile communication device of FIG. 1 may communicate with;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an example embodiment of asystem for dynamic power management;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of another example embodiment of asystem for dynamic power management;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example embodiment of a method for dynamicpower management;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an example embodiment of a method for dynamicpower management involving battery charging; and

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example embodiment of another method fordynamic power management involving battery charging.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated amongthe figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements or steps. Inaddition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide athorough understanding of the example embodiments described herein.However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the artthat the embodiments described herein may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures andcomponents have not been described in detail so as not to obscure theembodiments described herein. Furthermore, this description is not to beconsidered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein inany way, but rather as merely describing the implementation of thevarious embodiments described herein. Furthermore, it should be notedthat the terms “exemplary embodiment” or “example embodiment” is usedherein to denote an example of an embodiment of a device or method, anddoes not necessarily indicate a preferred implementation of the deviceor method.

Some of the embodiments make use of a mobile communication device,sometimes referred to herein as a mobile device, that is a two-waycommunication device with advanced data communication capabilitieshaving the capability to communicate in a wireless or wired fashion withother computing devices. The mobile device may also include thecapability for voice communications. Depending on the functionalityprovided by the mobile device, it may be referred to as a data messagingdevice, a cellular telephone with data messaging capabilities, awireless Internet appliance, or a data communication device (with orwithout telephony capabilities). Examples of mobile communicationdevices include cellular phones, cellular smart-phones, wirelessorganizers, personal digital assistants, handheld wireless communicationdevices, wirelessly enabled notebook computers and the like. Typically,the mobile device communicates with other devices through a network oftransceiver stations. The mobile device may also include the capabilityto communicate wirelessly with other mobile devices or with accessorydevices using personal area networking (PAN) technologies such asinfrared, Bluetooth, or the like.

Referring first to FIG. 1, shown therein is a block diagram of a mobiledevice 100 in one example implementation. The mobile device 100comprises a number of components, the controlling component being a mainprocessor 102 which controls the overall operation of mobile device 100.Communication functions, including data and voice communications, areperformed through a communication subsystem 104. The communicationsubsystem 104 receives messages from and sends messages to a wirelessnetwork 200. In some implementations of the mobile device 100, thecommunication subsystem 104 is configured in accordance with the GlobalSystem for Mobile Communication (GSM) and General Packet Radio Services(GPRS) standards. The GSM/GPRS wireless network is used worldwide. Otherstandards that can be used include the Enhanced Data GSM Environment(EDGE), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS), CodeDivision Multiple Access (CDMA), and Intelligent Digital EnhancedNetwork (iDEN™) standards. New standards are still being defined, but itis believed that they will have similarities to the network behaviordescribed herein, and it will be understood by persons skilled in theart that the embodiments described herein can use any other suitablestandards that are developed in the future. The wireless link connectingthe communication subsystem 104 with the wireless network 200 representsone or more different Radio Frequency (RF) channels, operating accordingto defined protocols specified for GSM/GPRS communications. With newernetwork protocols, these channels are capable of supporting both circuitswitched voice communications and packet switched data communications.

Although the wireless network 200 associated with the mobile device 100is a GSM/GPRS wireless network in some implementations, other wirelessnetworks can also be associated with the mobile device 100 in otherimplementations. The different types of wireless networks that can beemployed include, for example, data-centric wireless networks,voice-centric wireless networks, and dual-mode networks that can supportboth voice and data communications over the same physical base stations.Combined dual-mode networks include, but are not limited to, CodeDivision Multiple Access (CDMA) or CDMA2000 networks, iDEN networks,GSM/GPRS networks (as mentioned above), and future third-generation (3G)networks like EDGE and UMTS. Some other examples of data-centricnetworks include WiFi 802.11, Mobitex™ and DataTAC™ networkcommunication systems. Examples of other voice-centric data networksinclude Personal Communication Systems (PCS) networks like GSM and TimeDivision Multiple Access (TDMA) systems.

The main processor 102 also interacts with additional subsystems such asa Random Access Memory (RAM) 106, a flash memory 108, a display 110, anauxiliary input/output (I/O) subsystem 112, a data port 114, a keyboard116, a speaker 118, a microphone 120, short-range communications 122,and other device subsystems 124.

Some of the subsystems of the mobile device 100 performcommunication-related functions, whereas other subsystems can provide“resident” or on-device functions. By way of example, the display 110and the keyboard 116 can be used for both communication-relatedfunctions, such as entering a text message for transmission over thenetwork 200, and device-resident functions such as a calculator or tasklist. Operating system software used by the main processor 102 istypically stored in a persistent store such as the flash memory 108,which can alternatively be a read-only memory (ROM) or similar storageelement (not shown). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that theoperating system, specific device applications, or parts thereof, can betemporarily loaded into a volatile store such as the RAM 106.

The other device subsystems 124 can include a wide variety of componentsthat have different supply voltage level requirements. For example, theother device subsystems 124 can include a camera, a camera with a flash,lighting units for the display 110 and/or keyboard 116 and the like.

The mobile device 100 can send and receive communication signals overthe wireless network 200 after required network registration oractivation procedures have been completed. Network access is associatedwith a subscriber or user of the mobile device 100. To identify asubscriber, the mobile device 100 may require a SIM/RUIM card 126 (i.e.Subscriber Identity Module or a Removable User Identity Module) to beinserted into a SIM/RUIM interface 128 in order to communicate with anetwork. Accordingly, the SIM card/RUIM 126 and the SIM/RUIM interface128 are entirely optional.

The SIM card or RUIM 126 is one type of a conventional “smart card” thatcan be used to identify a subscriber of the mobile device 100 and topersonalize the mobile device 100, among other things. Without the SIMcard 126, the mobile device 100 is not fully operational forcommunication with the wireless network 200. By inserting the SIMcard/RUIM 126 into the SIM/RUIM interface 128, a subscriber can accessall subscribed services. Services can include: web browsing andmessaging such as e-mail, voice mail, Short Message Service (SMS), andMultimedia Messaging Services (MMS). More advanced services can include:point of sale, field service and sales force automation. The SIMcard/RUIM 126 includes a processor and memory for storing information.Once the SIM card/RUIM 126 is inserted into the SIM/RUIM interface 128,it is coupled to the main processor 102. In order to identify thesubscriber, the SIM card/RUIM 126 contains some user parameters such asan International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). An advantage ofusing the SIM card/RUIM 126 is that a subscriber is not necessarilybound by any single physical mobile device. The SIM card/RUIM 126 maystore additional subscriber information for a mobile device as well,including datebook (or calendar) information and recent callinformation. Alternatively, user identification information can also beprogrammed into the flash memory 108.

The main processor 102, in addition to its operating system functions,enables execution of software applications 134 on the mobile device 100.The subset of software applications 134 that control basic deviceoperations, including data and voice communication applications, willnormally be installed on the mobile device 100 during its manufacture,or be added at a later time by means of a computer or downloaded fromInternet. The programs 134 can include an email program, a web browser,an attachment viewer, and the like.

The mobile device 100 further includes a device state module 136, anaddress book 138, a Personal Information Manager (PIM) 140, and othermodules 142. The device state module 136 can provide persistence, i.e.the device state module 136 ensures that important device data is storedin persistent memory, such as the flash memory 108, so that the data isnot lost when the mobile device 100 is turned off or loses power. Theaddress book 138 can provide information for a list of contacts for theuser. For a given contact in the address book, the information caninclude the name, phone number, work address and email address of thecontact, among other information. The other modules 142 can include aconfiguration module (not shown) as well as other modules that can beused in conjunction with the SIM/RUIM interface 128.

The PIM 140 has functionality for organizing and managing data items ofinterest to a subscriber, such as, but not limited to, e-mail, calendarevents, voice mails, appointments, and task items. A PIM application hasthe ability to send and receive data items via the wireless network 200.PIM data items may be seamlessly integrated, synchronized, and updatedvia the wireless network 200 with the mobile device subscriber'scorresponding data items stored and/or associated with a host computersystem. This functionality creates a mirrored host computer on themobile device 100 with respect to such items. This can be particularlyadvantageous when the host computer system is the mobile devicesubscriber's office computer system.

Additional applications can also be loaded onto the mobile device 100through at least one of the wireless network 200, the auxiliary I/Osubsystem 112, the data port 114, the short-range communicationssubsystem 122, or any other suitable device subsystem 124. Thisflexibility in application installation increases the functionality ofthe mobile device 100 and can provide enhanced on-device functions,communication-related functions, or both. For example, securecommunication applications can enable electronic commerce functions andother such financial transactions to be performed using the mobiledevice 100.

The data port 114 enables a subscriber to set preferences through anexternal device or software application and extends the capabilities ofthe mobile device 100 by providing for information or software downloadsto the mobile device 100 other than through a wireless communicationnetwork. The alternate download path may, for example, be used to loadan encryption key onto the mobile device 100 through a direct and thusreliable and trusted connection to provide secure device communication.

The data port 114 may be any suitable port that enables datacommunication between the mobile device 100 and another computingdevice. The data port may be a serial or a parallel port. In someinstances, the data port 114 may be a USB port that includes data linesfor data transfer and a supply line that can provide a charging currentto charge the mobile device 100.

The short-range communications subsystem 122 provides for communicationbetween the mobile device 100 and other mobile devices, computer systemsor accessory devices, without the use of the wireless network 200. Forexample, the subsystem 122 can include a wireless transmitter/receiverand associated circuits and components for short-range communication.Examples of short-range communication standards include those developedby the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Bluetooth, and the 802.11family of standards developed by IEEE. These short-range communicationstandards allow the formation of wireless connections between or amongmobile devices and accessory devices and, in some cases, allow theformation of personal area networks (PANs) involving several devices.The establishment of short-range communications is described in greaterdetail below.

In use, a received signal such as a text message, an e-mail message, orweb page download will be processed by the communication subsystem 104and input to the main processor 102. The main processor 102 will thenprocess the received signal for output to the display 110 oralternatively to the auxiliary I/O subsystem 112. A subscriber can alsocompose data items, such as e-mail messages, for example, using thekeyboard 116 in conjunction with the display 110 and possibly theauxiliary I/O subsystem 112. The auxiliary I/O subsystem 112 can includedevices such as: a touch screen, mouse, track ball, infrared fingerprintdetector, or a roller wheel with dynamic button pressing capability. Thekeyboard 116 is preferably an alphanumeric keyboard and/ortelephone-type keypad. However, other types of keyboards can also beused. A composed item can be transmitted over the wireless network 200through the communication subsystem 104.

For voice communications, the overall operation of the mobile device 100is substantially similar, except that the received signals are output tothe speaker 118, and signals for transmission are generated by themicrophone 120. Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems, such as avoice message recording subsystem, can also be implemented on the mobiledevice 100. Although voice or audio signal output is accomplishedprimarily through the speaker 118, the display 110 can also be used toprovide additional information such as the identity of a calling party,duration of a voice call, or other voice call related information.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram of an example embodiment of thecommunication subsystem component 104 of FIG. 1 is shown. Thecommunication subsystem 104 comprises a receiver 150 and a transmitter152, as well as associated components such as one or more embedded orinternal antenna elements 154, 156, Local Oscillators (LOs) 158, and acommunications processor 160 for wireless communication. Thecommunications processor 160 can be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). Aswill be apparent to those skilled in the field of communications, theparticular design of the communication subsystem 104 can depend on thecommunication network with which the mobile device 100 is intended tooperate. Thus, it should be understood that the design illustrated inFIG. 2 serves only as an example.

Signals received by the antenna 154 through the wireless network 200 areinput to the receiver 150, which can perform such common receiverfunctions as signal amplification, frequency down conversion, filtering,channel selection, and analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion. ND conversionof a received signal allows more complex communication functions such asdemodulation and decoding to be performed by the communicationsprocessor 160. In a similar manner, signals to be transmitted areprocessed, including modulation and encoding, by the communicationsprocessor 160. These processed signals are input to the transmitter 152for digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion, frequency up conversion,filtering, amplification and transmission over the wireless network 200via the antenna 156. The communications processor 160 not only processescommunication signals, but also provides for receiver and transmittercontrol. For example, the gain/attenuation applied to communicationsignals in the receiver 150 and transmitter 152 can be adaptivelycontrolled through automatic gain/attenuation control algorithmsimplemented in the communications processor 160.

The wireless link between the mobile device 100 and the wireless network200 can contain one or more different channels, typically different RFchannels, and associated protocols used between the mobile device 100and the wireless network 200. An RF channel is a limited resource thatmust be conserved, typically due to limits in overall bandwidth andlimited battery power of the mobile device 100.

When the mobile device 100 is fully operational, the transmitter 152 istypically keyed or turned on only when it is sending to the wirelessnetwork 200 and is otherwise turned off to conserve resources.Similarly, the receiver 150 is periodically turned off to conserve poweruntil it is needed to receive signals or information (if at all) duringdesignated time periods.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of an example embodiment of anode of the wireless network 200 is shown as 202. In practice, thewireless network 200 comprises one or more nodes 202. The mobile device100 communicates with the node 202. In the example implementation ofFIG. 3, the node 202 is configured in accordance with General PacketRadio Service (GPRS) and Global Systems for Mobile (GSM) technologies.Examples of node 202 include a base station controller (BSC) 204 with anassociated tower station 206, a Packet Control Unit (PCU) 208 added forGPRS support in GSM, a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) 210, a HomeLocation Register (HLR) 212, a Visitor Location Registry (VLR) 214, aServing GPRS Support Node (SGSN) 216, a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)218, and a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) 220. This list ofnodes is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all nodes 202 within aGSM/GPRS network, but rather a list of nodes that can be used incommunications through the wireless network 200.

In a GSM network, the MSC 210 is coupled to the BSC 204 and to a landline network, such as a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 222 tosatisfy circuit switching requirements. The connection through PCU 208,SGSN 216 and GGSN 218 to the public or private network (Internet) 224(also referred to herein generally as a shared network infrastructure)represents the data path for GPRS capable mobile devices. In a GSMnetwork extended with GPRS capabilities, the BSC 204 also contains aPacket Control Unit (PCU) 208 that connects to the SGSN 216 to controlsegmentation, radio channel allocation and to satisfy packet switchedrequirements. To track mobile device location and availability for bothcircuit switched and packet switched management, the HLR 212 is sharedbetween the MSC 210 and the SGSN 216. Access to the VLR 214 iscontrolled by the MSC 210.

The tower station 206 is a fixed transceiver station. The tower station206 and BSC 204 together form the fixed transceiver equipment. The fixedtransceiver equipment provides wireless network coverage for aparticular coverage area commonly referred to as a “cell”. The fixedtransceiver equipment transmits communication signals to and receivescommunication signals from mobile devices within its cell via the towerstation 206. The fixed transceiver equipment normally performs suchfunctions as modulation and possibly encoding and/or encryption ofsignals to be transmitted to the mobile device 100 in accordance withparticular, usually predetermined, communication protocols andparameters, under control of its controller. The fixed transceiverequipment similarly demodulates and possibly decodes and decrypts, ifnecessary, any communication signals received from the mobile device 100within its cell. The communication protocols and parameters may varybetween different nodes. For example, one fixed transceiver equipmentmay employ a different modulation scheme and operate at differentfrequencies than other fixed transceiver equipments.

For all mobile devices 100 registered with a specific network, permanentconfiguration data such as a user profile is stored in the HLR 212. TheHLR 212 also contains location information for each registered mobiledevice and can be queried to determine the current location of a mobiledevice. The MSC 210 is responsible for a group of location areas andstores the data of the mobile devices currently in its area ofresponsibility in the VLR 214. Further, the VLR 214 also containsinformation on mobile devices that are visiting other networks. Theinformation in the VLR 214 includes part of the permanent mobile devicedata transmitted from the HLR 212 to the VLR 214 for faster access. Bymoving additional information from a remote HLR 212 node to the VLR 214,the amount of traffic between these nodes can be reduced so that voiceand data services can be provided with faster response times and at thesame time require less use of computing resources.

The SGSN 216 and GGSN 218 are elements added for GPRS support; namelypacket switched data support, within GSM. The SGSN 216 and MSC 210 havesimilar responsibilities within the wireless network 200 by keepingtrack of the location of each mobile device 100. The SGSN 216 alsoperforms security functions and access control for data traffic on thewireless network 200. The GGSN 218 provides internetworking connectionswith external packet switched networks and connects to one or moreSGSN's 216 via an Internet Protocol (IP) backbone network operatedwithin the network 200. During normal operations, a given mobile device100 must perform a “GPRS Attach” to acquire an IP address and to accessdata services. This requirement is not present in circuit switched voicechannels as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) addresses areused for routing incoming and outgoing calls. Currently, all GPRScapable networks use private, dynamically assigned IP addresses, thusrequiring the DHCP server 220 to be connected to the GGSN 218. There aremany mechanisms for dynamic IP assignment, including using a combinationof a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server and DHCPserver. Once the GPRS Attach is complete, a logical connection isestablished from the mobile device 100, through the PCU 208, and theSGSN 216 to an Access Point Node (APN) within the GGSN 218. The APNrepresents a logical end of an IP tunnel that can either access directInternet compatible services or private network connections. The APNalso represents a security mechanism for the wireless network 200,insofar as each mobile device 100 must be assigned to one or more APNsand the mobile devices 100 cannot exchange data without first performinga GPRS Attach to an APN that it has been authorized to use. The APN maybe considered to be similar to an Internet domain name such as“myconnection.wireless.com”.

Once the GPRS Attach is complete, a tunnel is created and all traffic isexchanged within standard IP packets using any protocol that can besupported in IP packets. This includes tunneling methods such as IP overIP as in the case with some IPSecurity (IPsec) connections used withVirtual Private Networks (VPN). These tunnels are also referred to asPacket Data Protocol (PDP) contexts and there are a limited number ofthese available in the wireless network 200. To maximize use of the PDPContexts, the wireless network 200 will run an idle timer for each PDPContext to determine if there is a lack of activity. When the mobiledevice 100 is not using its PDP Context, the PDP Context can bede-allocated and the IP address returned to the IP address pool managedby the DHCP server 220.

Using the above described general mobile device environment as anexample environment for communications, an example embodiment of asystem and method for dynamic power management will be described. Itwill be understood that the system and method for dynamic powermanagement may also be used in other electronic systems that make use ofa power supply to supply various components with various functions.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a system fordynamic power management 300 that can be implemented in, for example,the mobile device 100. Generally speaking, the system 300 includes aninput power port 305, a voltage converter 310, a processor 315 and anoutput power port 320. Generally speaking, power enters the system 300through the input power port 305, travels through the voltage converter310, where the input power is adjusted/regulated such that the voltagelevel provided to the output power port 320 is controlled to be at aparticular level based on instructions received from the processor 315.In the mobile device 100, the power from the output power port 320 isprovided to a voltage rail 325 of the mobile device 100 and the voltagerail 325 is connected to a plurality of loads related to the mobiledevice 100. In FIG. 4, two loads, a first load 330 and a second load 335are shown.

The input power port 305 may receive power from various sources such asan AC power line, a battery, a USB charge line, an AC main powered DCcharging source and the like (not shown in FIG. 4) that may be availableto the mobile device 100. Similarly, the plurality of loads 330, 335 mayinclude display screens, power amplifiers (e.g. for radio transmission),etc. and may also include a rechargeable battery that requires chargingfrom time to time. The processor 315 is in data communication with thevoltage converter 310 and with the loads 330, 335 in order to controlthe voltage converter 310 to provide an output voltage level in such away that it corresponds with efficient power usage (i.e. minimization ofheadroom) while providing an appropriate amount of power (i.e. voltageand current levels) to the loads 330, 335.

Using this arrangement, the voltage and current levels transmitted viathe voltage rail 325 can be dynamically changed to allow efficienthigher voltage functions to be enabled and disabled based on when thehigher voltage level is required in order to optimize the powerconsumption efficiency in the mobile device 100. The voltage rail 325 isthus a variable voltage rail. Thus, the processor 315 is notified when aload 330 with, for example, higher voltage level requirements is to beactivated and the processor 315 controls the voltage converter 310 toincrease the voltage level on the voltage rail 325 to the requiredvoltage level to allow the load 330 to operate. When the load 330 is nolonger active, the processor 315 then controls the voltage converter 310to lower the voltage level on the voltage rail 325. The voltageconverter 310 controls the voltage rail 325 based on active/inactivestatus and voltage level requirements of each of the plurality of loads330, 335 that are connected to the voltage rail 325.

In a conventional system, each load is typically provided with anindividual voltage converter that is designed to provide the appropriatevoltage level for the load. While this arrangement can improve overallsystem efficiency, it also requires that the main voltage rail providesufficient power to drive each voltage converter to the level needed forits load at an appropriate time. Also, the usage of more convertersresults in more power Field-Effect Transistors (FETs) being used in thesystem. This contrasts with the present embodiment in which one voltageconverter 310 adjusts the voltage rail 325 for the plurality of loads330, 335 in a dynamic manner.

Typically, voltage requirement for each load is stored in a look-uptable (not shown), which is accessed by the processor 315 upon detectionthat a load must be activated or deactivated.

FIG. 5 is another example embodiment of a system for power management500. In FIG. 5, the system 500 is shown with a plurality of possibleinputs and includes additional components as described below.

The system 500 includes three inputs: AC input 505, USB input 510 andbattery input 515. As shown, input power from the AC input 505 and USBinput 510 pass through and are controlled by switches 520 and 525,respectively. The switches 520 and 525 allow for connection of only oneof the AC input 505 and the USB input 510 at a time to a Current LimitOver Voltage Protection (OVP) module 530 which further controls the flowof input power from the AC input 505 or the USB input 510. The inputpower from the AC input 505 or USB input 510 are then fed to the mobiledevice voltage rail 535. The input power from the battery input 515 isconnected to a switch 540, which determines whether it is connected tothe mobile device voltage rail 535.

The switches 520, 525 and 540 are controlled by a processor 545 suchthat input power is fed from one of the AC input 505, the USB input 510,and the battery input 510, as available and appropriate to power themobile device 100. As will be understood, in typical operation, powerwill be fed from only one source at a time by having only one switchclosed at a given time.

The mobile device voltage rail 535 is divided into a fixed voltage rail550 and a variable voltage rail 555. The variable voltage level of thevariable voltage rail 555 is adapted by a voltage converter 560 thatprovides an output voltage level that can be lower or higher than theinput voltage level it receives. In one particular embodiment, thevoltage converter 560 is a buck/boost converter. The voltage converter560 is adapted to receive through the mobile device voltage rail 535voltage levels varying for example from 2.5 Volts to 4.4 Volts when theswitch 540 for the battery is closed, and voltage levels varying forexample between 5 Volts to 6 Volts when either the switch 520 of the ACinput 505 is closed, or the switch 525 of the USB input 510 is closed.The voltage levels provided for the mobile device voltage rail 535,voltage converter 560, AC input 505 and USB input 510 are not limitedthereto, but rather provided as examples for depicting voltage leveldifferences between the various components. Generally, the outputvoltage level is determined by the load(s) of the mobile device 100. Forexample, the minimum voltage level will be the voltage level required tomaintain regulation on the supply rails that are basic functionality,and the maximum voltage level will be determined by the load thatrequires the highest operating voltage level. The system 500 can beconfigures so that the voltage converter 560 accepts power from aportable device power source (such as a Lithium battery, a fuel cell,etc).

The fixed voltage rail 550 operates as a conventional voltage rail. Thefixed voltage rail 550 is connected to a plurality of switch modules(SM0 module 565 and SM1 module 570), which are configured to provide apredetermined voltage level to predetermined loads (not shown) of themobile device 100. In particular, the fixed voltage rail 550 isconfigured to provide power to loads that have relatively constantvoltage level requirements or that can operate at a lower power levelthat may be readily available even from the USB input 510 or from thebattery input 515 when the battery is running low on power or is a lowvoltage level battery.

The variable voltage rail 555 is controlled by the voltage converter 560to provide a variable voltage level to various system components (loads)of the mobile device 100. In some embodiments, this can also includerecharging the battery (as described in further detail below). Thevariable voltage rail 555 provides power to loads that may require morevoltage level at the time that they are operating but may generallyoperate less frequently than the loads that are connected to the fixedvoltage rail 550. Such loads may include a display screen, a cameraflash, an audio output or volume stage, a power amplifier, a lightingmodule to provide various lighting features and the like.

The variable voltage rail 555 is connected to an output power port 575where various system loads, such as load1 580 and load2 585, areconnected. The voltage converter 560 adjusts the input voltage level(for example to provide a buck or boost to the input voltage level) toan appropriate voltage level for output to the variable voltage rail 555based on the needs of the loads load1 580 and load2 585. In some cases,the voltage level output for the variable voltage rail 555 may be in arange of approximately 3 Volts to 5 Volts. In some embodiments, thevariable voltage rail 555 is connected to a plurality of Low Drop-Outregulators (LDO's) (not shown) running for example, at approximately 2.7to 3.3 Volts.

In a similar way to the system 300 of FIG. 4, the processor 545 of thesystem 500 of FIG. 5 monitors the system loads and adjusts the voltagelevel output by the voltage converter 560 to provide a sufficient andefficient voltage level to the system loads (for example, load1 580, andload2 585) while in use. Once a particular load is no longer in use, theprocessor 545 controls the voltage converter 560 to output the voltagelevel necessary to supply any remaining loads. A lookup table ofdifferent load requirements or voltage level requirements for differentmodes of operation or additional analog/digital feedback from outputregulators can be used to determine the required output voltage level.When there is more than one load/feature that is active and whichrequires a change in output voltage level, output voltage level is setto be the output voltage level for the load/feature that has the highervoltage level requirement.

Embodiments of the system and method of power management described canbe used with lower voltage level batteries, such as low voltage levellithium batteries, where the operating range is typically from 4.4 Voltsdown to approximately 2.0 Volts. In this case, there is expected to be aneed to be able to raise (i.e. boost) the low battery voltage level upto an appropriate value for the voltage rail in the mobile device tosupply various higher voltage level components as described above. In asimilar way, some mobile device components are also moving to lowervoltage level operating requirements such that there may be a situationin which a voltage rail in the mobile device may be lowered (i.e. buckeddown) to a lower voltage level such as 2.85 Volts, compared to the inputpower voltage level, to supply various components and thereby increaseoverall system efficiency. An example of such a load is a Wireless LocalArea Network Power Amplifier (WLAN PA), which typically runs at 2.7Volts. By powering the WLAN PA directly from the voltage converter, itwould be possible, if no other high voltage level loads were enabled, todrop the voltage level on the variable rail 555 to 2.7 Volts.

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of an example embodiment of a method 700 ofdynamic power path management according to one example embodiment. Atstep 702, the processor 545 monitors the various loads that areconnected to the variable voltage rail 555. At step 704, when a changein the status of the loads is provided to the processor 545, it isdetermined whether or not the status is the addition of a load or theremoval of a load. When there is no change in the status then theprocessor 545 continues monitoring the loads at step 702. When anadditional load is to be activated, then at step 708 the voltageconverter 560 raises the voltage level on the variable voltage rail toan appropriate voltage level to handle the voltage level requirements ofthe added load. The amount by which the voltage level of the variablevoltage rail 555 needs to be raised can be determined by, for example,calculation, a look-up table, or other appropriate methods as describedpreviously. When a load has been removed, then at step 706 the voltageconverter 560 reduces the voltage level of the variable voltage rail 555as appropriate following the removal of the load, in order to increaseefficiency of power consumption. In the event that the load currentlyactive requires a higher voltage level than the load to be activated,the output voltage level of the voltage converter will correspond to thehighest voltage level required, and therefore, the output voltage levelwill not be raised to adjust to the activating of the load.

As shown in FIG. 5, the AC input 505 and USB input 510 might also beused to recharge the battery (not shown in FIG. 5) via a battery charger590 and the battery input 515. In the charging of the battery, thevariable voltage rail 555 also provides a dynamic power path. Inparticular, the processor 545 or a control loop (not shown) monitors aDynamic Power Path Management (DPPM) Node1 595 and a DPPM Node2 600 withregard to the voltage levels needed for charging the battery andcontrols the battery charger 590 to adjust the charging of the batterywith greater efficiency and to ensure that other system loads cancontinue operating even while the battery is being charged.

In this embodiment, the dynamic power path has two control loops. Thefirst control loop is related to the DPPM Node1 595, which monitors theinstant voltage level received from any of the inputs, AC input 505 orUSB input 510. During charging, when the system load causes the voltagelevel at DPPM Node1 595 to drop to a first predetermined voltage levelthreshold that starts to compromise system efficiency (for example 4.35Volts), then the output voltage level of the voltage converter 560 isreduced to reduce the charging rate of the battery by reducing theheadroom between the output of the voltage converter 560 and the outputof the battery charger 590, thus reducing the charge rate and the powerdissipation.

The second control loop is related to the DPPM Node2 600, which monitorsthe voltage level of the variable voltage rail 555 and decreases thecharge rate of the battery when the voltage level of the variablevoltage rail 525 reaches a second predetermined voltage level threshold.This allows the variable voltage rail 555 to be regulated at a minimumvoltage level required to maintain the operation of the components(load1 580 and load2 585, and battery charger 590) connected to thevariable voltage rail 555. In particular, the charge rate of the batterymay be decreased by, for example, reducing the output current of thebattery charger 590.

It will be understood that the first and second predetermined voltagethresholds will be selected based on efficient use of the input poweravailable and in some embodiments may be variable depending on operatingcharacteristics of the mobile device 100 or the like.

The use of dynamic power management in charging the battery can preventproblems with power dissipation in the recharging process. This can behelpful in cases in which the size of the power management integratedcircuit (PMIC) decreases. In a particular case, it may be necessary tofunction at approximately 3.3 Volts (i.e. the dead battery voltagelevel) and provide approximately 1-1.5 Amps through the battery port 515(depending on the type of battery).

FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of a method 800 for dynamic power managementaccording to another example embodiment. At step 802, the method beginswith the processor 545 monitoring the DPPM Node1 595 for voltage level.At step 804, the processor 545 determines whether the voltage level atDPPM Node1 595 is below a predetermined first threshold voltage level(i.e. threshold1). When the voltage level at DPPM Node1 595 is above thevoltage level threshold1, the method 800 returns to monitoring the DPPM1node 595 at step 802. However, when the voltage level at DPPM Node1 595is below the voltage level threshold1, at step 806, the processor 545controls the voltage converter 560 to reduce the voltage level of thevariable voltage rail 555 to reduce the overhead at the battery charger590 and thus reduce the charging rate of the battery. The method 800then returns to monitoring the voltage level at the DPPM Node1 595 atstep 802.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of a method 900 for dynamic power managementaccording to another example embodiment. At step 902, the method 900begins by monitoring the voltage level of the DPPM Node2 600. At step902, the processor 545 checks whether the voltage level at DPPM Node2600 is below a predetermined second threshold voltage level (i.e.threshold2). When the voltage level at DPPM Node2 600 is above thevoltage level threshold2, the method 900 returns to monitoring at step902. When the voltage level at the DPPM Node2 600 is below thethreshold2 voltage level, at step 906, the processor 545 controls thevoltage converter 560 to reduce the current provided to the batterycharger 590 to decrease the charging rate of the battery. The method 900then returns to monitoring the voltage level of the DPPM Node2 600 atstep 902.

Embodiments in the present application can address the issues of boardspace, cost, power dissipation, available current during USB100start-up, long charging time and support for low voltage level batteriesand high system voltage level requirements. For example, during USB100startup there is only 100 milliAmps of current available from the USBinterface to power the system, however by appropriately boosting thevoltage level provided to various components of the mobile device by anappropriate amount, the power requirements of these components can bemet. In particular, the battery can be charged by USB current in ashorter charge time. Further, when a low voltage level battery is used,the voltage converter can convert the low voltage level from the batteryto an appropriate value for some components of the mobile device thatoperate at a higher voltage level. Further, the boost voltage level isdynamic such that the voltage level of the voltage rail can be reducedin order to maximize system efficiency when high voltage level featuresare not required as previously described.

The embodiments described herein have a number of features such as:reducing the number of components required for power management (sinceonly one voltage converter is used to perform power conversionefficiently for meeting various system voltage level requirements andproviding battery charging); reducing manufacturing cost by reducing thenumber of components; increasing the available power for charging orsystem components by approximately 60% while decreasing the powerdissipation by approximately four times, by placing the voltageconverter on the input of the battery charger 590, when dealing with alow, dead or missing battery.

When the system is not charging, the system provides a dynamic powersupply to increase efficiency and performance of the mobile device 100.For example, when on operating off of battery power and featuresrequiring only low voltage levels are enabled, the output of the voltageconverter 560 is lowered to lower the power consumption from thebattery, thus increasing battery life. When higher power features arerequested (i.e. increased audio volume, camera flash, increased LEDbrightness, and the like), the voltage converter 560 boosts the voltagelevel (possibly above the current battery voltage level) and providesthe required voltage level for the duration of the function/event butthen reduces the voltage level down to a lower more efficient outputlevel when the increased voltage level is no longer required. The boostnature of this system also allows the use of a low voltage level batterysince the system can operate at a higher voltage level even when thebattery voltage level is below the required system voltage level.

Accordingly, the various embodiments described herein provide severaluseful features. For instance, a switching charger can be used in atleast some cases. A voltage control loop is active on the input of thevoltage converter, which keeps the input supply rail from collapsing.When only the output voltage level is monitored, the input supply railmay collapse to meet the output demand and as the input supply railcollapses the voltage converter becomes less efficient and actuallycollapses the input supply rail faster which will adversely affect thedevice. However, the use of a control loop on the input of the voltageconverter allows for the reduction of current at the output of thevoltage converter when the input (i.e. input supply rail) to the voltageconverter starts browning out (i.e. collapsing) which effectively keepsthe device functioning. Another feature is that the system voltage levelcan be different than the charging voltage level. This allows theefficiency of the system to be improved for different use cases. Forexample, when a camera flash was powered from a voltage rail the voltagerail can be set to 5 Volts while the battery is charging at a lowervoltage level. This has very little overall impact to battery life butreduces space and cost because there is no need to add a separatevoltage converter from the camera flash. Also, by using a buck-boostvoltage converter allows providing higher system voltage levels than thebattery voltage level for various use cases.

It will be understood that at least a portion of the systems and methodsdescribed herein may be embodied in software, for example, on a physicalcomputer readable medium or the like, or hardware or some combinationthereof. Similarly, the systems may be provided in and/or the methodsmay be performed by the microprocessor 102 of the mobile device 100 orby other components thereof. Examples of computer readable mediumcomprises a floppy disc, compact disc, read access memory, read-onlymemory, and any other type of computer readable component.

It should be understood that various modifications can be made to theexample embodiments described and illustrated herein, without departingfrom the general scope of the appended claims. In particular, it shouldbe understood that while the embodiments have been described for mobilecommunication devices, the embodiments are generally applicable todevices that operate in an environment with varying functions havingdiffering power requirements and, in particular, in devices operating onbattery power.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for dynamic power management of amobile device, the mobile device comprising a plurality of loads and abattery charger electrically connected to a voltage rail of the mobiledevice, the method comprising: monitoring the plurality of loads todetermine when at least one of the loads will become active or inactive;determining a minimum required output voltage level to be provided bythe voltage converter based on all active loads voltage levelrequirement and the at least one load that will become active orinactive voltage level requirement; adjusting an input voltage level viathe voltage converter to provide the minimum required output voltagelevel on the voltage rail in advance of the at least one load becomingactive or after the at least one load becomes inactive; monitoring theinput voltage level; determining whether the input voltage level isbelow a first predetermined threshold; and when the input voltage levelis below the first predetermined threshold, reducing the output voltagelevel provided by the voltage converter thereby reducing a charging rateof the battery charger.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the methodfurther comprises: monitoring the output voltage level of the voltageconverter; determining whether the output voltage level of the voltageconverter is below a second threshold; and when the output voltage levelof the voltage converter is below the second threshold, control thebattery charger to reduce a charging current supplied to a chargingbattery.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting thereceived input voltage level increases the output voltage level to ahigher voltage level when the at least one load becomes active.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the received inputvoltage level comprises reducing the output voltage level to a lowervoltage level when the at least one load becomes inactive.
 5. A systemfor dynamic power management of a mobile device, the mobile devicecomprising a plurality of loads and a battery charger electricallyconnected to a voltage rail of the mobile device, the system comprising:a single voltage converter electrically connected to the voltage railand configured to receive an input voltage level and adjust the receivedinput voltage level to provide an output voltage level to the voltagerail; and a processor configured to: monitor the plurality of loads todetermine when at least one of the loads will become active or inactive;determine a minimum required output voltage level to be provided by thevoltage converter based on all active loads and the at least one loadthat will become active or inactive; control the voltage converter toadjust the input voltage level to provide the minimum required outputvoltage level on the voltage rail in advance of the at least one loadbecoming active or after the at least one load becomes inactive; monitorthe input voltage level; determine whether the input voltage level isbelow a first predetermined threshold; and when the input voltage levelis below the first predetermined threshold, control the voltageconverter to reduce the output voltage level thereby reducing a chargingrate of the battery charger.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein theprocessor is further configured to: monitor the output voltage level ofthe voltage converter; determine whether the output voltage level of thevoltage converter is below a second predetermined threshold; and whenthe output voltage level of the voltage converter is below the secondpredetermined threshold, control the battery charger to reduce acharging current supplied to a charging battery.
 7. The system of claim6, wherein the adjusting of the received input voltage level comprisesincreasing the output voltage level to a higher voltage level when theat least one load becomes active.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein theadjusting of the received input voltage level comprises reducing theoutput voltage level to a lower voltage level when the at least one loadbecomes inactive.
 9. A computer readable medium storing instructionsthat, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to: monitor aplurality of loads connected to a voltage rail to determine when atleast one of the loads will become active or inactive; determine aminimum required output voltage level for the voltage rail based onactive loads and the at least one load that will become active orinactive; and control a single voltage converter to adjust an inputvoltage level to provide the minimum required output voltage level onthe voltage rail in advance of the at least one load becoming active orafter the at least one load becomes inactive; monitoring the inputvoltage level; determining whether the input voltage level is below afirst predetermined threshold; and when the input voltage level is belowthe first predetermined threshold, reducing the output voltage levelprovided by the voltage converter thereby reducing a charging rate ofthe battery charger.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein, when more thanone load is active, the output voltage level is set at an output voltagelevel for the active load that has a higher voltage level requirement.11. The method of claim 1, wherein if the at least one load currentlyactive requires a higher voltage than the load to be activated, then theoutput voltage level will not be increased.
 12. The system of claim 5,wherein the processor is further configured to, when more than one loadis active, set the output voltage level at an output voltage level forthe active load that has a higher voltage level requirement.
 13. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured not toincrease the output voltage level if the at least one load currentlyactive requires a higher voltage than the load to be activated.
 14. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein the voltage converter is a buck/boostconvertor.
 15. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein theinstructions case the processor to: monitor the output voltage level ofthe voltage converter; determine whether the output voltage level of thevoltage converter is below a second predetermined threshold; and whenthe output voltage level of the voltage converter is below the secondpredetermined threshold, control the battery charger to reduce acharging current supplied to a charging battery.
 16. The computerreadable medium of claim 9, wherein the adjusting of the input voltagelevel comprises increasing the output voltage level to a higher voltagelevel in advance of the at least one load becoming active.
 17. Thecomputer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the adjusting of the inputvoltage level comprises decreasing the output voltage level to a lowervoltage level in after the at least one load becomes inactive.
 18. Thecomputer readable medium claim of claim 9, wherein the instructionscause the processor to, when more than one load is active, set theoutput voltage level at an output voltage level for the active load thathas the higher voltage level requirement.
 19. The computer readablemedium of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the processor to notincrease the output voltage level if the at least one load currentlyactive requires a higher voltage than the load to be activated.
 20. Thecomputer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the voltage converter is abuck/boost converter.